Between concrete and books, construction sites and memory archives, Goran Mikulić’s life found its place. Mikulić, a civil engineer, later became one of the most prominent publishers in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the publisher of Art Rabic.
In a conversation for Art Kvart, he spoke about Sarajevo, identity, war experiences, publishing, and his obsession with preserving the city, its culture, and its memory.
Mikulić’s view of Sarajevo was shaped in his childhood among artists and cultural workers, as well as through his later professional work in construction. That combination, he said, created a lasting bond between him and the city.
One of the key projects in his construction career was the UNIS Towers, known as “Momo and Uzeir.”
“I built the largest facility in Yugoslavia at that time – the UNIS Towers, known as Momo and Uzeir. Those buildings were an incredible construction achievement. I was working on something that was, at that time, technically and organizationally extremely challenging.”
The Sarajevo skyscrapers “Momo and Uzeir,” completed in 1986, became symbols of modern Sarajevo. The towers were named after iconic characters from the sitcom directed by Rudi Alvađ and Rejhan Demirdžić. Working on that project, as he described, was a personal source of pride:
“An unimaginable number of employees from all over Yugoslavia, from various backgrounds, worked on that project. When we completed those buildings, we were thrilled. The feeling of creating something that lasts is immense.”
Years later, the attitude toward personal work takes on a completely different emotion:
“Not long after, I saw the buildings burning. I cried then. That was not just a facility; it was something I built with my own hands, and then you see how it disappears.”
“It was impossible to work in construction after the war”
After the war, Mikulić expected to return to construction, but instead, he entered a system he describes as deeply compromised.
“After the war, I thought that reconstruction would be something I would do as a civil engineer. However, I quickly realized that it is impossible to work in construction because the mafia is extremely powerful; you cannot get a job unless you bribe someone.”
He added that such a system was unacceptable:
“I do not like to pay anyone who did not earn that money. Under such conditions, I simply could not stay in construction work. If I had stayed, I would be a millionaire today. But that was not a path I could accept at that moment.”
That turning point led him into a completely different world – publishing – which was not planned from the beginning but resulted from wartime improvisation and coincidence.
Sarajevo Haggadah as One of the Greatest Publishing Challenges
One of the most significant projects in his publishing career was the Sarajevo Haggadah, which he transformed into a major facsimile and cultural project.
He said the decision to take on this work arose from his desire to take the book beyond the museum walls and bring it closer to people.
“When I decided to work on the Sarajevo Haggadah, I knew it could not be a partial effort. I wanted to collaborate with the best on this project. I arranged for a photographer, designers, and one of the best printing houses in Europe. If I decide to do something, I do it properly.”
However, the Haggadah was not simply a publishing project but a cultural mission:
“That book has an amazing story – like a thriller. It was not enough for me to have it sit in a museum and be viewed only a couple of times a year. I wanted people to hold it in their hands, see it, and experience it.”
The project also gains strong symbolism through the number of copies:
“I was told that usually, 499 copies are printed for this kind of edition. Then, someone mentioned the symbolism behind 613, and I immediately said we are doing 613. If we are going to do it, we will do it right.”
Later, as he said, the Haggadah gains an international life and travels to major exhibitions:
“The first three editions went directly to Washington, to the largest book fair. It was presented there, and it was a significant moment for the entire project.”
But that major project is unpredictable:
“When I returned, they told me that in one edition, the pages were out of order. I was shocked at first, I was even angry, but later, it turned out that ‘mistake’ is what makes those editions extremely valuable. I was offered 10,000 dollars for that book.”
Sarajevo as the Project of Life
Through publishing, Sarajevo becomes a central theme of his work.
The edition “Sarajevo, My City” seeks to preserve the urban and cultural memory of the city.
“I cannot allow our children not to know where they live or what surrounds them. I asked my son where the Arap neighborhood is; he did not know, and that cannot be the case.”
At that time, it was the main street for entering the city, and caravans arrived from there, from the east, and so on. At that moment, I realized it had to be written down.”
For him, Sarajevo is not just a place, but a layered story:
“I want it recorded how this city looked, how people lived, and who built it.”, Federalna writes.
